Rosie the wild turkey makes her annual appearance

SALT LAKE CITY — The Rose Park and Fairpark neighborhood’s unofficial mascot has made its annual appearance this year as the temperature has dropped.

Rosie the wild turkey was named by residents. She and her flock have returned to the area year after year. 

A Rose Park resident named Dennis said he’s seen Rosie and other wild turkeys wander around his yard and loves to take pictures of them.

“It’s amazing having those wild turkeys in our area,” he said. “Where they came from, I have no idea, but they showed up a few months ago.” 

Spokesperson for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Faith Heaton Jolley said you’ll typically see turkeys in suburban areas when winter comes around.

“We do see a lot of those seasonal migrations when it starts to snow up in the mountains,” she said. “It’s harder for them to get food when there’s a lot of snow.” 

Jolley said it’s okay to admire them from afar, but you shouldn’t feed them. 

“We do recommend that people don’t feed them. It causes disruptions to the turkey’s travel patterns and seasonal migration,” she said. 

Residents said the flock doesn’t cause too much trouble — they mostly just wander around the neighborhood.

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